We tried a new recipe in my Cooking Light magazine…
And I will say…
It was fabulous!!!
I will post the recipe as it is but this is what we did:

Since we already had ground cumin I didn’t want to go to the trouble of cooking/grinding whole seeds so I just used the ground stuff.

After mixing the spices I added the chopped garlic to the baggie. Big mistake. The spices stuck to the garlic. So after putting oil in the skillet hubs dumped the spice/garlic mixture in and ended up seasoning the tilapia with blackened seasoning.

We left out the jalepeno pepper.

This recipe is quick, cheap and delicious!!

Cumin-Spiced Fish Tacos with Avocado-Mango Salsa

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup sliced peeled avocado
2/3 cup finely chopped peeled ripe mango
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds; cook 2 minutes or until toasted, shaking pan frequently. Place cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, paprika, and black pepper in a spice grinder; process until finely ground. Combine cumin mixture and garlic; rub over fish. Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add fish; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from heat; keep warm.

2. Combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, avocado, and next 6 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon red pepper). Stir in jalapeño, if desired.

3. Heat tortillas according to package instructions. Break fish into pieces; divide evenly among tortillas. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons salsa. Fold tortillas in half; serve immediately.

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Shea Body Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

New Blog Alert!

New blog we are following:

Glorious Treats

You have to to check out her Gingham Cookies!!!!!
(complete how-to instructions)

The say SPRING in a way that no other cookie can.

Awesome!

Seriously…..
How can you not want that on your table!!??

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.

www.countrymeadowltd.com

New Blog Alert (and recipe!)

Found a new blog and have added it to our blog list. Make sure you check out the MANY different recipes!

Six Sisters’ Stuff

We had the Baked Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos for dinner last night and we (hubs & I) LOVED them….
I mean seriously what’s not to love about chicken, bacon and ranch all in one!

My Notes:
We used 3 boneless chicken breasts baked in a 375 degree oven (on a boiler pan) for 50 minutes. I then split the breasts in half, opened them up and cooked another 10-15 minutes. Once cooled I then cut the chicken into cubes however next time I will shred it.

We used regular medium cheddar cheese instead of Monterey Jack.

We used the entire package of Ranch dressing mix.

We used cream cheese not Neufchatel.

I think the addition of chopped, fresh tomatoes would be a great.

While I sprayed the tops of the tortillas with Pam Olive Oil spray I didn’t salt the top as I figured with the bacon and ranch dressing there was already enough salt. Spraying or oiling the tortillas with Pam or any other type of oil makes the tortillas crispy!

Baked Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos

Ingredients

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel cheese)
12 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 cups cooked, shredded chicken (a rotisserie chicken works great for this!)
1 (1 oz) packet dry Ranch Dressing mix (here is a recipe for a homemade Ranch Dressing mix)
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
3-4 Tablespoons green onion, chopped
20 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Salt
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cover a large baking sheet (I use a cookie sheet) with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Mix together cream cheese, chicken, bacon, cheese, and green onions. Add in about 1/2 of the dry Ranch dressing mix and taste- add more if you want more of a Ranch taste (I ended up using only 1/2 of the packet). Mix well. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into a flour tortilla and roll it up.

Place taquito seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat about 20 times (I had to use two baking sheets because all of my taquitos would not fit on one). Once finished, spray the tops of the taquitos with non-stick cooking spray (or you could lightly brush some olive oil on them) and sprinkle with salt (I like to use sea salt).

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes (or until edges and tops are golden). Let cool for a couple of minutes. Serve with Ranch dressing or Blue Cheese Dressing for dipping (my husband also likes to dip them in “Salsa Ranch”- just mix equal parts salsa and Ranch dressing together).

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Shea Body Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

Hurray, Hurray….it’s the first of March!!!!
Only 19 more days until the official first day of spring!

Even though it’s cold and trying to snow I am so over winter.
I am so much over winter that I find myself looking at plants to see if they are starting to sprout!

To get you in the spring mood here is a tutorial on a new blog I came across: Warning Sugary Goodness.

Cherry Blossom Red Velvet Cupcakes with tutorial

When your done with that tutorial make sure you check out the other posts!

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Shea Body Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

Last May I posted a recipe for Monglian Beef. It’s good but to me the sauce part is lacking sweetness and is too thin.

Last night I made Teriyaki Meatball Bowls and the sauce in this recipe is the bomb! It’s just the right consistancy (thanks to cornstarch) and sweetness. Next time I make the Mongolian Beef I’m going to use the sauce from this recipe!

Note: The recipe below calls for 1 lb. ground pork. We used 1 lb. seasoned sausage and 1 lb. hamburger.

Teriyaki Meatball Bowls

Ingredients

Meatballs:

1 lb. ground pork
1 large egg
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
2 inches fresh ginger
1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 whole green onions
10-15 cranks freshly cracked black pepper

Teriyaki Glaze

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 inches fresh ginger
2 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Rice Bowl
2.5 cups dry jasmine rice
3.75 cups water
2 whole green onions

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the ground pork in a large bowl. Peel the ginger and then grate it using a small holed cheese grater into the bowl. Mince the garlic, slice the green onions, and add them to the bowl. Also add the egg, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, and black pepper. Mix these ingredients really well until it is all evenly combined (clean hands work best).

Cover a baking sheet with foil. Roll the meatball mixture into small balls, about one tablespoon each. You should yield about 30 meatballs. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet as you roll them. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown (about 35-40 minutes).

While the meatballs are in the oven, begin cooking the rice according to the package directions: Place the rice and water in a medium pot, cover, and bring to a rapid boil over high heat. As soon as it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Allow to simmer on low for 20 minutes, then turn the heat off and let the rice rest, undisturbed, until the rest of the meal is complete. The rice will continue to steam even after the heat is turned off, so don’t remove the lid.

While the meatballs are in the oven, also prepare the teriyaki glaze. In a medium pot combine the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Peel and grate the ginger into the pot. Heat over a low flame until the brown sugar is dissolved (just a few minutes).

Dissolve the cornstarch in just enough water to make it pourable. Pour it into the pot with the glaze ingredients. Turn the heat up to medium high, stir and cook until thickened. It should thicken as soon as it begins to simmer.

When the meatballs come out of the oven, transfer them from the baking sheet into the pot with the glaze. Stir to coat. Fluff the rice with a fork. Build the bowls by placing one cup of rice in a bowl, add five meatballs and a couple of spoons of extra teriyaki glaze, then sprinkle a few sliced green onions over top.

Enjoy!

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Shea Body Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

Quick and easy and what looks like GOOD crockpot short rib recipe!

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Short Ribs

Ingredients

6 serving-sized pieces beef short ribs (about 3 pounds)
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed French Onion Soup
1 Bottle, 12 oz. Dark Ale or Beer
Hot mashed potatoes or egg noodles

Directions

Place the beef into a 5-quart slow cooker. Add the brown sugar, garlic, thyme and flour and toss to coat. Pour the soup and ale over the beef mixture.

Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours* or until the beef is fork-tender. Serve with the mashed potatoes or noodles.
(Or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.)

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Shea Body Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

I am a huge fan of fettucine but I must admit I don’t think I have ever tried making my own sauce.

This recipes looks quite easy not to mention delicious!

Grilled Chicken Fettucine

Ingredients

1 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
12 ounces dried fettuccine Regular
1/4 cup purchased pesto
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Dash black pepper
Toasted pine nuts (optional)
Snipped fresh basil (optional)

Directions

In a small saucepan heat whipping cream and butter until butter melts. Gradually add Parmesan cheese, stirring until combined. Cover and keep warm over low heat.

For a charcoal grill, grill chicken on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F), turning once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place chicken on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.)

Meanwhile, cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Cut grilled chicken into bite-size pieces. In a medium bowl toss chicken with 1 tablespoon of the pesto. Add remaining pesto and Parmesan mixture to the hot cooked fettuccine. Add tomatoes. Toss to coat. Arrange fettuccine on a serving platter; sprinkle with pepper. Top with grilled chicken. If desired, garnish with pine nuts and/or basil. Makes 6 servings

Grilled Chicken Fettucine

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Shea Body Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

We had these for dinner the other night and I think I liked them more than my husband did.

They had great flavor but I think to bring it over the top you need to add chopped avocado!

Since we don’t like Greek yogurt we used regular plain yogurt.

Also instead of using pita bread we used flat bread….which was really thin that it broke through in places…not to mention that I really didn’t like the type we bought. Next time we will go for the pita bread!

Chicken Gyros

Tzatziki sauce: 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pita Bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

Directions:
Shred the cucumber or chop in food processor. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Shea Body Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

Ever since my husband saw my ‘pin’ (follow us on Pinterest!!!) he has been hankering for cinnamon rolls!

I made this over the weekend and they were so EASY and fun!!!

At first I was thinking maybe I should drizzle icing or frost with cream cheese frosting….but truth be told…they don’t need a damn thing!

Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread

Makes: one 9x5x3-inch loaf

For the Dough:

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.

Whisk together eggs and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together. Keep stirring. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky. That’s just right.

Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too.

Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It might seem like a lot of sugar. Seriously? Just go for it.

Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips. Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again. You’ll have six stacks of six squares. Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book. Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto a clean board. Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up. Serve warm with coffee or tea.

I think this bread is best served the day it’s made, but it can also we wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.

___

Seriously….
How can you resist that!!!??

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Shea Body Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

Enjoy!

Martha Stewart’s Best Christmas Cookies

Every year in the beginning of December, we engage in the time-honored tradition of cookie baking. Fill your house with the comforting scent of baked goods and wow your friends and family with these exceptional Christmas cookie recipes from Martha Stewart.

These ones sound marvelous!!

Buttered Rum Meltaways

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon(s) cornstarch
2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon(s) freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon(s) coarse salt
3/4 cup(s) (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup(s) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup(s) dark rum
1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract

Directions

Whisk flour, cornstarch, spices, and salt in a bowl. Put butter and 1/3 cup sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in rum and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour mixture.

Divide dough in half. Place each on a piece of parchment paper; shape dough into logs. Fold parchment over dough; using a ruler, roll and press into a 1 1/4-inch log. Wrap in parchment. Chill in freezer 30 minutes (up to 1 month).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap logs. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; space 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until just golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool 10 minutes. Gently toss warm cookies with remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Cookies can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 2 weeks.

Martha Stewarts Buttered Rum Meltaway Cookies

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco Shea Body Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com